Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Christmas Swap and Giveaway

The idea was to make a handmade gift that took a few evenings to complete that we would send to our exchange partner. Once we had been assigned a partner we then all busied ourselves making the gifts ready to post out by out mid November. Kali and my gifts arrived on the same day... how weird is that. We both decided to wait until nearer Christmas to open them and it was worth the wait as look at all the handmade goodness that I received... Thank you so much Kali!!!

Everything was beautifully wrapped in tissue paper and labelled with pretty handmade tags. Firstly I unwrapped a sweet cat softie made from the prettiest bright red floral cotton fabric and also a lavender scented house softie. I have placed both of these on the dining room mantle. They are lovely but I especially love the cat. Then I unwrapped a floral scarf a stationary wrap complete with notepad and vintage postcard. Kali also kindly sent me a tiny tape measure with a felted cover which my girls love and a perfectly stitched and very useful pin cushion. I was just bowled over by her kindness and she also sent some chocolate biscuits which the girls also have their very large eyes on. In the bottom left hand corner of the photo above you can see some festive little tree decorations too. These match perfectly with the mainly red and white theme to our Christmas tree.

A departure from my usual colourful display but what with the kittens, the colourful but fragile vintage glass baubles had to be left off this year... just in case! (I did add one though high up).So a final huge thank you to Kali for being a very generous swap partner. x

Christmas this year has been a fun family time, pretty low key as always but with us entertaining my family on Boxing day for the first time. All went well and although we had veg left over it was perfect as a fry up the next day.

As this year draws to a close I am now reflecting on 2008. I have a book which I write all my resolutions in... It is good to look back and see the same old ones popping up time and time again... mainly... get fit! Sadly I am unfit and as the nature of my work is sitting at a computer, desk or sewing machine inside, I realise that often (apart from my mouth) I don't move much... it is hard to break out of this habit and get moving. The regular swimming fizzled out way back this year and the regular walking did not do much better.2009 will be different. My main aim now I work at home is to spend more time growing and cultivating the garden. This is good in terms of health and thriftiness (I have been planning the veg growing these past days). I will also be slowing down, rushing less and walking more as when I do I love it.

I think thriftiness is going to be our family word for 2009 and I know that many others will be looking to this way of life too. I found a great blog yesterday about downsizing which has some great info and links about being thrifty and living simply.

I shall post one more time here at The Flour Loft and there is still time to leave a comment today with reference to your funniest Christmas present ever (last post) to be entered into my final Flour Loft Giveaway.Here is a final picture of the stockings that the girls made for Magic and Paws from their own designs of mice and cheese. The cats are so loved x (by all of us).

23 comments:

Hi, Ginny! Looks like treats all around there--hooray! So nice to catch up with you here and see you're enjoying a wonderful holiday! We're just back from our Christmas trip to the US and getting over the jet lag and settling in...ringing in 2009 will be quiet here-LOL!I'm looking back and ahead too...next week I'll share some new for the New Year at my place. Wishing you & yours love & joy in the New Year! ((HUGS))

Glad the swap went well!One of my Christmas presents was a rather fabulous sewing book ....perhaps you know it!!Cheerful frugality will play a big part in 2009 for me too - do you read Making Good Use, Notes from the Frugal Trenches or Down to Earth? All full of inspiring ideas, recipes and encouragment.

You can't stop writing. I love reading your blog! Or are you going to hop sites? I hope you don't stop writing. I never get funny christmas presents - if only - just another set of gloves or slippers (which I cannot stand wearing). I reckon I must be the easiest person to by for but unfortunately no-one around me can really be arsed to think about what I might like!!!!!

I shall miss your posts here, I must have been reading almost since you started blogging.I think if I had written down my New Year resolutions over the last few years, getting more exercise and slowing down would have been on every list! I want to do some yoga again though I'm not sure that that counts as exercise.A very Happy New Year, Ginny, to you and your family. I'll see you over at Sweet Myrtle and in person in the New Year, I hope.

Hi Ginny - Your christmas swaps are lovely! - I have to share my funniest Christmas Gift with you. When I was about 13 years old our rather eccentric neighbour bought me a rather racy set of red tartan underwear. The bra was a size 36c (I hadn't even started sprouting then, if you get my drift!) and the pants were a size 14 (I am only a 10 now) - As they were from NEXT, my mum and I took them back to see if we could exchange them - how embarrassed were we when the assistant checked the code on the label and told us they were quite a few years old! - Have a fab New Year love Natalie x

Hey Ginny, My funny Xmas store is about my 16 yr old that that just spent all her money from her first job on Xmas presents, they were all wrapped and under the tree. Next morning we came out and they were all ripped into tiny pieces. My cocker spaniel had eaten them all. She told us they were expensive Lindt chocolates. My dog was a very sick boy, no more chocolates under the Xmas tree in our house.

You have been spoiled with your Christmas swap I agree the cat softie is lovely. I am going to miss your posts wishing you a very happy 2009 and I'm looking forward to trying one of your projects in your lovely book!Sarahx

Happy New Year Ginny to you and your family. I look forward to seeing how your plans in the garden progress and would love to hear of any handy tips for us gardeners, which you may discover along the way. Maybe a book may be on the cards! I would love to keep in touch with you on Sweet Myrtle. x

Happy New Year! What a sweet and generous parcel of delights. I particularly like the tree decorations.

I had to smile at your comment about exercise ~ the only part being your mouth ~ He He!! I found that a pedometer really inspired me to get out and walk more, although in the temperatures that we are experiencing at the moment, it takes a bit more than this to get me outdoors (-20 C wind chill today!!!!) I couldn't wait to get home from work and back in the warmth.

I will be sad to see The Flour Loft go, but so pleased to hear that you will not be disappearing altogether.

So sorry to see the flour loft coming to an end. It has been lovely reading your blog (even though I am guilty of being a bit of a lurker, and never actually commenting until now!!) Glad you're not disappearing completely. My resolution for 2009 is lurk less, comment more. :)

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Baby loss Awareness week

9th - 15th October 2008

Vintage and Handmade Fair

Vintage & Handmade Fair on Saturday the 22nd of November 2008 at Rangeworthy Village Hall, nr. Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire. 10 a.m - 4.00 p.m. A chance for you to meet and do a little shopping. For further info on exhibitors plese click on photo.